DEMARCHE TO EU ON AMCIT CASES IN IRAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRUSSELS 001740 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PASS TO NEA/IR, CA AND P E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2019 TAGS: CASC EUN IR PGOV PHUM PINR PREL PROP PTER SUBJECT: DEMARCHE TO EU ON AMCIT CASES IN IRAN REF: A. STATE 129480 ¶B. USEU BRUSSELS 1244 Classified By: USEU Political M-C Chris Davis for reason 1.4 (b) and (d ) ¶1. (C) On December 21, 2009, USEU Senior Consular Representative delivered ref A non-paper and talking points to Giorgio Porzio, Head of the Consular Communication Unit at the EU Council's Joint Situation Center. Porzio promised to relay the non-paper to Ambassador Maria Victoria Morera Villuendas, Director of the Consular Emergency Unit of the incoming Spanish presidency after January 1, 2010. Porzio stated that he would notify conoff with Spain's response. ¶2. (C) On December 22, 2009, USEU PolOff delivered the same to Candido Creis Estrada, a Spanish diplomat who will chair the EU,s working group handling Iran under the incoming Spanish Presidency, effective January 1. Creis promised to relay the non-paper to Madrid immediately. He described the U.S. and EU approaches to Iran over the past year as fully synchronized and said the Spanish Presidency wants to continue the close collaboration. From Foreign Minister Moratinos to the working level, Spain is committed to a close policy relationship with Washington on Iran, he added. ¶3. (C) Turning to the issue of detained American citizens, Creis said unity and discretion have been the keys to the EU,s limited success in securing the release of some detained EU citizens and EU member-state embassy employees. Keeping the same message across the EU had been important in particular for the UK, he said. He noted, however, that Belgium recently secured the release of three of its citizens without using EU channels. ¶4. (C) Creis said Spanish FM Moratinos calls his Iranian counterpart periodically, and has previously raised the issue of detained EU citizens during those calls. Creis did not speculate on whether Moratinos would make a similar appeal on behalf of American citizens. He did, however, use this example to illustrate his point that handling these issues quietly can be more productive than public statements. Nonetheless, he said Iranian tactics can be frustrating. The Iranian MFA often plays the good cop in discussions of detained EU citizens, while Iranian security services counter with a bad cop routine to try to exact concessions for the release of EU citizens and employees. ¶5. (C) Comment: The EU has been increasingly pointed in criticizing the state of human rights in Iran and in calling on Iranian authorities to release those detained for political offences. The Swedish EU Presidency has this month issued four statements criticizing Iran variously for the sentencing of Kian Tajbaksh, its use of the death penalty -- especially against minors -- and its violent suppression of the recent demonstrations. According to Creis, the EU's more assertive messaging is largely due to French pressure. End Comment. MURRAY .